Controlling mosquitoes in Union

Courtesy photo Mosquitoes are an unpleasant fact of life in warm weather months, but the City of Union is taking steps to reduce their ability to make life unpleasant for city residents this year. Union City Council voted unanimously Tuesday approve a contract between the city and Gregory Pest Solutions which will implement a program to control mosquitoes in the city by treating the breeding and resting sites of the insects and putting out briquettes to prevent mosquitoes from reaching adulthood and biting people and pets.

Charles Warner | The Union Times Union City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to authorize the City of Union to take ownership of this building at 113 West Main Street in downtown Union. In recommending council approve the authorization, Mayor Harold Thompson said the owner had approached the city about taking ownership of the property as is and without cost to the city.

Charles Warner | The Union Times Since 2008, WBCU Radio has had an agreement with the City of Union allowing it to lease space on this city water tower at 200 Sonoco Road for an antenna tower enabling the radio stationto broadcast its FM signal. The initial agreement was for five years with one automatic five-year extension. At its February meeting this past Tuesday, Union City Council voted unanimously to authorize the city to enter into a new lease agreement with WBCU allowing the radio station to continue to have its antenna tower on the water tower.

UNION — Tuesday’s meeting of Union City Council was a busy one with council approving a contract to control mosquitoes in the city this year, authorizing the city’s acquisition of a building on Main Street, and entering into a new agreement with WBCU to lease space on a water tower.

Mosquito Control

Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize the city to enter into a contract with Gregory Pest Solutions to provide mosquito management services on a monthly basis between April and October. Under the terms of the contract, Gregory Pest Solutions will “apply materials which are intended to help reduce the adult mosquito populations by treating resting and breeding sites” around the city and by informing the city of “effective measures which they may implement” to assist the company “in mosquito abatement, such as eliminating standing water.”

The cost of the program provided by Gregory Pest Solutions is bases on the number of road miles to be treated. In the City of Union, the company will be treating 98 road miles over the seven months covered by the contract at a cost of $553.87 per mile or $32,770.

In addition, Gregory Pest Solutions would also put out 90-day briquettes twice a year for stopping mosquitoes before they get to adulthood and start biting people. The report recommending council approve the contract with Gregory Pest Solutions states that the briquettes put out by the company in the city would total $13,300 which, when added to the cost of the treatment of the city’s road miles would bring the total cost of the program to $46,070.

Even with the treatments and the briquettes, however, the contract states that Gregory Pest Solutions does not guarantee that mosquitoes will not be seen in the city or that people will not be bitten. It states the company recommends “additional precautions be taken for protection from mosquito bites and associated mosquito-borne illness when people or pets are outdoors.”

Mayor Harold Thompson said Friday that the agreement with Gregory Pest Solutions “gives the city the opportunity to be proactive against mosquito-borne disease.”

Building Acquisition

Council also voted unanimously to approve a recommendation from Thompson that the city acquire ownership of the building at 113 West Main Street in downtown Union.

In his report to council, Thompson stated that the owner of the building had approached the city about it taking ownership of the property as it is and at no cost to the city.

Thompson stated that the city “had an asbestos and lead-based paint assessment report done” on Jan. 25 of this year and received it on Feb. 2. He said that the report was reviewed by city staff and found favorable. In addition, Thompson said that an assessment of the roof of the building has been scheduled but the results were not available as of Tuesday.

Even without the assessment of the building’s roof, Thompson said that city staff recommended the city take ownership of the building.

Thompson said Friday that the decision was made to take ownership of the building because, first, it is next to the city-owned Main Street Junction, and, second, the city needs additional space for storage for Main Street Junction. He said the acquisition of the building opens up the possibility of expanding Main Street Junction in order to accommodate more and larger events. Thompson said that walk through of the building had determined it is in pretty good shape. He said the city will look into opportunities for grants to renovate the space.

Lease Agreement

Council also voted unanimously to authorize the city to enter into a new lease agreement with WBCU concerning the leasing of space on a city water tower.

In his report to council, Thompson said that on Feb. 18, 2008, the city and WBCU had entered into an agreement enabling the radio station to lease space on the water tower at 200 Sonoco Road along with a parcel of land. The purpose of the agreement was to allow WBCU to install an antenna tower that would enable it to broadcast its FM frequency (WBCU FM 103.5).

Thompson said the term of the original agreement was for five years with one automatic five-year extension. He said that city staff recommended that the city enter to a new lease agreement with WBCU.

On Friday, Thompson said that the new agreement will be similar to the old one, enabling WBCU to lease the space for the next 10 years.

Budget Meetings

In other business, council also voted unanimously to approve a recommendation from city staff that the city annual budget work session be held April 10-12.

Courtesy photo Mosquitoes are an unpleasant fact of life in warm weather months, but the City of Union is taking steps to reduce their ability to make life unpleasant for city residents this year. Union City Council voted unanimously Tuesday approve a contract between the city and Gregory Pest Solutions which will implement a program to control mosquitoes in the city by treating the breeding and resting sites of the insects and putting out briquettes to prevent mosquitoes from reaching adulthood and biting people and pets.

https://www.uniondailytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_Mosquito_2007-2.jpgCourtesy photo Mosquitoes are an unpleasant fact of life in warm weather months, but the City of Union is taking steps to reduce their ability to make life unpleasant for city residents this year. Union City Council voted unanimously Tuesday approve a contract between the city and Gregory Pest Solutions which will implement a program to control mosquitoes in the city by treating the breeding and resting sites of the insects and putting out briquettes to prevent mosquitoes from reaching adulthood and biting people and pets.

Charles Warner | The Union Times Union City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to authorize the City of Union to take ownership of this building at 113 West Main Street in downtown Union. In recommending council approve the authorization, Mayor Harold Thompson said the owner had approached the city about taking ownership of the property as is and without cost to the city.

https://www.uniondailytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_IMG_2894.jpgCharles Warner | The Union Times Union City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to authorize the City of Union to take ownership of this building at 113 West Main Street in downtown Union. In recommending council approve the authorization, Mayor Harold Thompson said the owner had approached the city about taking ownership of the property as is and without cost to the city.

Charles Warner | The Union Times Since 2008, WBCU Radio has had an agreement with the City of Union allowing it to lease space on this city water tower at 200 Sonoco Road for an antenna tower enabling the radio stationto broadcast its FM signal. The initial agreement was for five years with one automatic five-year extension. At its February meeting this past Tuesday, Union City Council voted unanimously to authorize the city to enter into a new lease agreement with WBCU allowing the radio station to continue to have its antenna tower on the water tower.

https://www.uniondailytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_IMG_2896.jpgCharles Warner | The Union Times Since 2008, WBCU Radio has had an agreement with the City of Union allowing it to lease space on this city water tower at 200 Sonoco Road for an antenna tower enabling the radio stationto broadcast its FM signal. The initial agreement was for five years with one automatic five-year extension. At its February meeting this past Tuesday, Union City Council voted unanimously to authorize the city to enter into a new lease agreement with WBCU allowing the radio station to continue to have its antenna tower on the water tower.